PITTSBURGH — Zack Austin was all over the floor in Pitt’s win over Virginia Tech on Saturday.
Austin, a 6-foot-7 wing, has not scored in double figures sine Jan. 9 in Pitt’s blowout loss to Duke at home. However, he has been a solid piece for the Panthers in the starting lineup contributing elsewhere: on the glass, on the defensive end, and more. On Saturday, he put it all together.
“I saw a crazy athlete who can really do this on any given night if he wanted to,” Jaland Lowe said about Austin. “So I’m going to tell him he’s got to do this every night. That’s what he does. That’s what we expect out of him, that’s what he expects out of himself, so him doing that tonight just really showed at what level he can play at all the time and how he can affect the game.”
Austin finished with nine points and 14 rebounds (four offensive) to go along with a season-high five blocked shots. He played 30 minutes, hit four of his eight field goals, and drained a three pointer. Two of Austin’s four misses came on alley-oop attempts. He was all over the floor on both sides of the ball, and Pitt certainly felt his presence was important to the win.
A TALE OF TWO HALVES
Pitt jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead over Virginia Tech, with five early points coming from Blake Hinson. The Petersen Events Center’s blackout crowd was rocking, as Hinson slammed home a two-handed dunk and followed it up with a three pointer from the logo.
However, the Panthers surrendered a run to Virginia Tech shortly after, allowing the Hokies to make this a game. The two teams traded buckets throughout the rest of the half, and at the halftime break, the score was tied at 36. Pitt had three players pick up two fouls apiece in the first half: Bub Carrington, Ishmael Leggett, and Federiko Federiko. Carrington only played five minutes in the half, and Federiko played nine.
“I thought in the first half, we had some different lineups out there with the foul trouble,” head coach Jeff Capel said. “We didn’t have our regular rotation of perimeter guys… When Bub went out with his second foul, we were plus-seven, we were up seven.”
“He gives us a different look [than Jaland],” Capel continued. “They’re each really good, but they’re different. Bub gives us a different look in how we attack ball screens. With him out, that took away something that we do pretty well. We just had different lineups.”
After a few minutes went by in the second half, Pitt went on an emphatic 18-0 run that spanned over five minutes. That run included numerous buckets from Carrington, his first points of the game. Lowe, Guillermo Diaz-Graham, and Leggett also contributed to the massive run for the Panthers.
“I thought in the second half, I thought we got back to our regular lineups, our regular rotations, I thought the ball moved really, really well. Obviously, we made shots, but I was just really pleased with the defensive effort throughout the game. Especially guarding the three. I thought in the second half we did a little bit of a better job of defending them without fouling and trying to make them take contested twos.”
Virginia Tech finished the game going just 3 for 20 from three-point range, a 15% mark. The Hokies turned the ball over eight times and eventually, after Pitt’s big run, the lead was too much to overcome.
PITT RUNS ON HINSON
Blake Hinson will only play two more home games in the Petersen Events Center.
Hinson, a fan-favorite, has been on a tear, especially on his home court, over the past few weeks. In his last four games, Hinson has scored 17, 17, 41, and 22 points — for an average of 24 points per game. In that span, he has made 18 of his 31 three-point attempts, a 58% stretch from downtown.
On Saturday, Hinson once again delivered highlight plays and a solid shooting night. He opened the game with a loud slam, hit a deep three, and dished out an assist in the first seven minutes. Hinson then hit two more threes, grabbed three rebounds, and drew six fouls in the win.
STRONG DEFENSIVE EFFORT PROPELS PANTHERS
Virginia Tech’s Sean Pedulla had a tremendous all-around game, leading the Hokies with 26 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists. However, aside from Pedulla, the Hokies only had one other player score in double figures.
“They’re good, that’s the very first thing,” Capel said about the Hokies. “They’re really, really good offensively. When you look at the numbers, they’re at the top of a lot of categories offensively. Field goal percentage, three-point field-goal percentage, three pointers made, free-throw percentage, they’re up there. So, I just thought they were in a really good rhythm. They made some tough shots, but again, I thought we were able to make them take some tough ones in the second and they didn’t make as many.”
Virginia Tech shot 50% from the field in the first half, with 14 points from Pedulla and eight from Lynn Kidd pacing the team. In the frame, the Hokies hit just one of six three-point attempts. In the second half, Virginia Tech shot the ball worse from the field, shot the ball worse from three-point range, and turned the ball over more (five times, compared to three in the first half).
Pitt forced the Hokies — who are shooting 35% from three on the season — to hit just three of 20 attempts from beyond the arch. The Hokies have hit more than three three pointers in all but two games this season — Saturday’s loss to Pitt, and an early-season loss to Florida Atlantic.
UP NEXT
Pitt now travels to Clemson for perhaps the biggest game out of the remaining four.
The Panthers already lost to the Tigers once this season, and now have a Quad 1 opportunity to earn revenge on Clemson’s home floor on Tuesday. That game will tip off at 7 p.m. on ACC Network on Tuesday, Feb. 27. Clemson is currently ranked as the No. 25 team in the NCAA’s NET rankings.
